For Arsenal, the time is right and the Lord has made it happen

Arsenal fans celebrate their team winning the English Premier League, outside the Emirates Stadium in London on May 20, 2026. [AFP]

When Patrick Paul Vieira lifted Arsenal’s English Premier League trophy in 2004, petrol in Kenya was retailing at Sh64.99, Diesel was Sh51.60, while kerosene went for Sh38.19.

In 2004, the late president Mwai Kibaki was just two years into his presidency, The Thika Superhighway construction plan hadn’t been conceptualised, telecommunication company Airtel was going by the name Celtel and Kenya’s population was at 34.7 million (it’s now around 58.6 million).

Then, Kenya had just six fully chartered public universities (there are now over 35) and a similar number of chartered and accredited private institutions.

In sports, national football team Harambee Stars Kenya qualified for the 2004 Africa Nations cup after a topping a group that included Togo, Mauritania and Cape Verde…

Some of those born in 2004 are today being called fathers and mothers.

Yes, it has been that long.

So long has it been, that yours truly’s bed-mate, who sleepwalks Arsenal and was in her First Year at the university when Arsenal last won the title, is now a mother of two teens.

At the time, the 2025/2026 English Premier League champions had not even migrated to their current home, The Emirates. Their stadium was called Highbury, where during the 2003/04 EPL battle, The Gunners played 38 matches, winning 26 and drawing 12, becoming the first top-flight English team to go a whole season undefeated. The Invincibles.

And with that, they went on to become truly invincible when it came to battling for league honours. The titles were too hard to come by. They were a team of ‘almost there’, near misses, and any other befitting adjective you’d find to describe this team from North London.

For ages, Arsenal legion was wallowing in the miasma of disillusionment and near cynicism. Just like it is with the Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong, indeed went wrong.

Their seasons were nothing but a period of lamentations, fury, incredulity and wondering why the football gods had forsaken them.

You see, Arsenal fans are not your usual lot of aficionados. They are wired differently. Their devotion has been unrivalled, really. Over time, their allegiances have been formed due to different reasons, while to a few, passed down family lines like heirlooms.

Given their long-distance love affair, it was, most of the time, strained by the limitations of trophies being paraded in their dusty cabinet. Within seconds, their affair could spiral from pleasure into disenchantment with zero warning.

Utter letdown, they felt, as a sense of betrayal crept in with each failed mission.

But unlike Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who doubted and laughed when God told her that she would give birth (at 90 years and after 25 years of wait), it had always been a constant belief held by the Arsenal fans that one day, just one day, they would deliver, no matter how long it took.

“Haki sina maoni kabisa… (truly, I don’t have much to say) 22 years was such a long wait. It really feels good to be a champion,” was all Euphrine Ubaga, an ardent Arsenal fan, could say.

Before that Tuesday night, which they’ll cherish for days, week, months and years to come, theirs had been an expressive rollercoaster ride that was punctuated by undaunted faithfulness. The road had been long, but they knew that they had to reach the end. They were weary and tired, but had to soldier on.

A few wavered along the way, some bolted, but majority of them held onto that hope that soon and very soon, they shall emerge triumphant.

They vowed not to become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, they had the conviction that they would reap a harvest, if they did not give up. They never gave up, they never gave in.

They had been bridesmaid for one too many weddings and knew how miserable that felt.

And after 22 years of waiting, The Gunners have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, they have finished the race, they have kept the faith. Quite unbelievable. Indeed, good things come to those who wait.

It seems as if these fellows drew some inspiration from reggae maestro Israel Vibration in his song ‘Try again’, where he sings thus; “...If at first you don’t succeed, try again, try again yeah…time will bring you your reward, try again, try again…”

Try again, they did.

The sad bit though is that one of their ardent fans, the late Right Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga had to die before savouring this moment.

Keep resting, Jakom.